Texas A&M (12-3) completed one of the craziest comebacks we’ll see all season after defeating Auburn 90-88 on the road and now enters the weekend at 2-0 in the SEC. However, the win is now riddled with controversy, at least among Auburn fans, when Ke’Shawn Murphy’s last-second 3-point attempt was disallowed because the referee ruled his fingertips were still on the ball.
It’s something that will be debated for years to come, and despite the murky video evidence, Texas A&M pulled off one of the more important wins this year regarding its NCAA Tournament hopes. Heading into Saturday’s home test against Oklahoma State (11-4), the Aggies will be the slight favorite based on their success this season at Reed Arena. However, Aggie fans have to show up, knowing their support can inspire a sustained winning streak.
advertise
Led by a team effort that included the stellar performance of international sharpshooter Ruben Dominguez, who led the Aggies in scoring (13.7 points per game), he shot 47 percent from the field and an incredible 47.3 percent from beyond the arc. Dominguez made four 3-pointers against the Tigers, matching forward Rashaun Agee’s 14 points.
Texas A&M is considered by most to be a fringe team in the NCAA Tournament right now and clearly needs to finish SEC play at .500 or better, but for now, it’s time to look at the Aggies as one of the stronger teams in the league until further notice.
With the win, first-year head coach Bucky McMillon’s team moved up a few spots to No. 48 in the all-important NET rankings and re-entered CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein’s top 45 rankings at No. 45, below Stanford and Missouri.
The road ahead is tough, as they face No. 21 Tennessee and Texas in their next two games after hosting Oklahoma State, but the team continues to prove that despite losing star forward Mackenzie Mgbakko for the season, the Aggies are skilled enough to handle the toughest opponents the SEC has to offer.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire Follow our Facebook page on X (formerly Twitter) for ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
advertise
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M ranked No. 45 in Jon Rothstein’s rankings after defeating Auburn
